Felton: I’m no villain

The actor played boy wizard Harry’s arch enemy Draco Malfoy in the popular movie franchise. Tom says people still recognize him from the films and are always stunned by his courteous manner.

“I look very different from the guy that I played. I’m not always the easiest person to spot, which is nice. And I feel very lucky that the character that I got to play couldn’t have really been further from me. A lot of people expect to meet Draco when they meet me, and they usually are pleasantly surprised when they see that I’m not a complete a**hole. It’s been fun to see people’s reactions, over the years,” he said in an interview with Collider. “They have these preconceptions of what I’m like, and then I turn that on its head. So, I’m very proud of the past, and also very excited for the future.”

Tom’s latest role sees him appear in US TV drama Full Circle, opposite Minka Kelly. The pair play lovers and had only chatted over Skype before filming scenes. Tom admits he was nervous before shooting started, but was relieved to discover Minka is the “loveliest girl” and they hit it off right away.

He also admitted finding the dialogue-heavy script intimidating.

“In ten years of Harry Potter, I didn’t say half of what I said in this one day,” he laughed. “That’s how different it really was.”

Tom is also starring in another small screen project, Murder in the First. The 26-year-old actor is proud to be following in the footsteps of some of his heroes by switching between TV and movies.

“I feel like the prestige of film over television is long gone. If anything, it’s the other way around now. I’ve been in awe of Damian Lewis, for a long time. And I’m a huge fan of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul,” he said. “Now, if you get one good character in one of these TV series – and Aaron Paul is a great example – you’re set and people love you forever.”